


The Job of an Apprentice

by PartiPurri



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Light-hearted story, Mild Gore, Other, Sadism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-06-26 05:30:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15656745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PartiPurri/pseuds/PartiPurri
Summary: After months of working on a cure for the plague in the dugeons perhaps your judgement has been damaged, or else why would you wish to romantically persue your boss whom most can't even breath the same air as without making a face.----or in other words, a light-hearted reader-insert in which the reader is essentially an assistant to all of the doctors but ends up with a crush at a pretty bad time.NOTE- the story uses gender-neutral pronouns for the reader but during the smut scene it is implied that the reader has female anatomy





	1. 1

You held your head in your hands, shutting the notebook you’d been scribbling in before sighing and standing up, deciding that before you could continue making sense of your notes on the plague, you needed air, and a bath. It wasn’t a very human hour to be up at but anyone that had involved themselves with the plague functioned on a not-so-human schedule. As a doctor’s apprentice, you never had to get hands-on with patients or the other doctors’ odd ideas for cures. You did however, have to observe the work done in the dungeons, the experiments, the dissections, and document all of it. There were others in your same situation, young students acting as apprentices to doctors before they’d came to the palace, one of you would always be present to take notes for the doctors. But unluckily enough for your sleep-deprived body, you were the favorite student of many of the doctors, able to keep up a conversation even as they cut into a patient’s body, not complaining when asked to tape a mouth or tighten restraints, you lightened the heavy mood.

The bedrooms of the other apprentices were right next to yours and the doctors’ rooms, slightly larger and more furnished right next to that. All doctors and apprentices shared one large bathing chamber, nobody really minded, it was quite difficult for most to think of anything sexual when they spent hours surrounded by sickness and death. You stepped out into the hallway, stretched out your back and approached the bathroom, it was quiet, why would anyone bathe at this hour? Unless they didn’t want to be seen that is. The bath lanterns didn’t shine as bright as in the hallway so the white room had a dark blue glow to it, some found it creepy but you found it relaxing. Purely out of habit you walked to your right as you stripped, if you did it as soon as you entered the room, during a busy bathing time, there could be some very awkward eye contact with someone relaxing in the huge tub. Your courtesy seemed to not matter though as awkward eye contact was made the second you turned towards the water. With their body pressed to the pool’s wall closest to you, hiding everything from their neck down, was Quaestor Valdemar, dressed in only their bandages and a surgical mask. It made sense when you thought about it, they didn’t seem the type to enjoy being exposed to others so they’d come here when no one else would be to get some privacy.

“Uh hey, good morning boss...I um I can come back in a bit if you’d prefer to bathe alone. I mean...I get it.”  
“No.”  
“No?”  
“I quite enjoy your company. Get in, I’ll wash your hair.”  
You could see the smile in their eyes despite their mask. Valdemar wearing a mask while bathing would have weirded you out months ago but you now understood it to be simply part of their person that only the oddly sweet smelling stale dungeon air was breathable to them. Near everything they did was creepy to onlookers...and the majority of the other doctors as well. Everybody you knew would run for the hills at Valdemar’s offer, who would want to be entirely exposed to someone so strange and unnerving? Well you’d done more uncomfortable things during your time working as an apprentice, including carrying corpses onto boats to be shipped to The Lazaret. Maybe you’d lost your ability to think straight.

Valdemar kept themself pressed to the wall as you slid into the hot water, they only lost contact with the tiles when you turned your back to them so they could wash your hair. It was quite clear that Valdemar was not the type to show off their nudity for the hell of it and you wouldn’t push boundaries trying to check them out. They’d catch you looking anyway, they seem to see everything. Whereas you’d never even seen their hands without the black gloves. As they rubbed shampoo onto your head you could occasionally feel a long nail trace against your scalp, you breathed out and relaxed your shoulders. You greatly enjoyed being physically cared for like this, who would have thought the ‘Creepy Quaestor’ could make you feel so safe? As you leaned into their touch, you made more contact than expected and your shoulders gently collided with their skin, somewhere on their mid-torso, a reminder of just how tall they were. Your knowledge of their shapes was...limited thanks to the layered uniform worn in the dungeons, even that couldn’t hide that they were clearly toned, long legs and perfect posture. Thinking about your unfortunately attractive boss in the company of others, especially them, was a poor decision.

With your head washed and rinsed likely much better than you could’ve done on your own, it was time to deal with your body. Avoiding looking at them, you thanked Valdemar before grabbing your bar of soap and taking a few steps away from them keeping your back turned. As you lathered yourself with the neutral smelling bubbles you could feel their stare on you, first on your hips, then your hands as they traveled, your shoulders before landing on your neck and settling. You drew out the process, not wanting to turn and catch their stare, near 10 minutes had passed when you knew you couldn’t make the process much longer, that was when you heard the water ripple as Valdemar hoisted themself onto the ledge. As much as you’d enjoyed the encounter, your heart was also excited to be alone again so it could slow down. The aura of mystery and fear Valdemar carried with them gave you knots in your stomach in a not-entirely-unpleasant way.

“You really are precious, little apprentice.” Valdemar’s voice came in what sounded close to a purr and made you jump, when you regained your cool, you turned to see them in breathable night attire, a flowy oversized shirt over spandex shorts too short to be worn in a work environment, both white.   
“Err...what exactly do you mean boss?”  
“Your face is reaching hues comparable to a plague victims’ eyes dear.”  
“Oh! I um...the uh steam in here usually gets me a bit...warm-faced is all.” It wasn’t entirely a lie but it was miles from the truth, clearly though, Valdemar knew the truth. You had to assume that much when they winked at you on their way out of the bathroom. After your stomach settled you realized how uneven the playing fields were, if the Quaestor wanted to play with your heart or your lust, it would be a game of war.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note- this chapter features the reader being kinda naughty and the slight gore warning is for this chapter. Also thanks so much for all the nice comments??? The Valdemar love community is truly so kind... I love you all...

Competition made you feel like your stomach was boiling in the most invigorating way, was it 3:24 A.M? Yes, absolutely, but you still walked right down to the dungeons, a skip in your step. You’d decided that it was best to use your newly replenished energy to get work done, then when you inevitably felt like shit with the sun rising and more doctors filling the dungeons you could go and rest, before you could be dragged into observing an operation. When there was nobody requesting you take notes for them and you weren’t studying new material, you would perform a bit of a “secret study session”. The recently deceased plague victims were kept in an old sewer tunnel beneath the palace until a ship came to sail them off to The Lazaret every night at 8 A.M, the same sewer tunnel you were approaching. 

Your hands grew clammy and your fingers curled to form fists in anticipation of what you knew was coming, leaning over a cold and dead little girl. The black gloves doctors wore thankfully went up close to your shoulders, your arms were protected. The same could not be said of the baby blue apprentice’s uniform, the white half-apron was practically a joke or an accessory, all of it needed to be removed before you could begin. Wearing only your plague doctor mask, rubber gloves and boots, and white undergarments you tore open the unstitched cut trailing up the girl’s torso, blood spattered across your no-longer clean skin and pooled around your knees. You smiled not quite out of enjoyment or sadism, just happy to further your knowledge, no matter how filthy the pursuit. After observing the Quaestor’s dissection of the girl the previous morning, you knew you’d have to get your hands on her, you’d never gotten a specimen so young and so small.

The plague had shrunken her heart, children’s bones were usually malleable but had become brittle, you snapped a second rib bone, just to be sure. Smiley face evolving into a prideful grin you scrawled what felt like a jackpot of knowledge onto your notebook pages. Pleased with the data you’d collected, it was time to leave before you the dungeons filled and anyone could see the evidence of your secrets drying up on your knees, thighs and stomach. Your still perfectly clean clothes tucked into a duffel bag, you left the sewer to visit one of the many large sinks in the private offices hall. Dampened and warm washcloth in hand you brought a foot to rest on the rim of the sink. As soon as the cloth made contact with your skin, a voice alarmed you. With a jerk of your head you saw Julian Devorak and another doctor you’d barely spoken to at the end of the hall.  
“What the hell? Are you okay?” Dr. Devorak approached you trying to check your legs for injury, you put a hand on his chest, stopping him.  
“I slipped in blood that hadn’t been cleaned while changing into my uniform.” You’d been caught before and you had become a good liar getting out of situations just like this, but it had never been anyone you were close to like Julian. You didn’t know for sure if he’d believe your bluff but he didn’t get time to call it as you both turned your head to face the sound of clicking down the hall, clicking footsteps. The clicking was the sound of Quaestor Valdemar’s heels as they approached with a sense of purpose. After a quick scan, looking for the other doctor you assumed they must have alerted the Quaestor you had been injured, Julian bolted in the opposite direction, you knew he hated Valdemar.  
“Hey I-uh I guess we just keep running into each other this morning…” You tried to awkwardly laugh off the situation, pulling your leg back down and turning to face your boss who had a trace of genuine concern twisting on their features. It was reasonable that you’d be questioned or even examined but it was expected that you’d be given the chance to explain yourself, it was not expected that they’d lift you into their arms without a word. You didn’t dare protest as they carried you all the way to their office, only speaking up when they set you onto their famous vivisection table, the thought shook you with fear and excitement. They clearly didn’t believe your lie, you knew they wouldn’t, you’d been wearing your uniform before your and after your bath not long earlier and they knew that. If you weren’t changing, why would you need to be so exposed, Valdemar found your state in that moment very suspicious. Rather than asking intrusive questions though, they opted to go for being physically intrusive, holding your ankle in their hand as they bent down and licked the blood from your knee.   
“Mmmm...well now that’s familiar, though I promise none of her blood was spilt on the floors, so dear how did this get all over you?” Flustered and fearful, you stayed silent, turning your chin away from them and directing your gaze over to their desk. They followed your gze with their own eyes before smiling a toothy grin and responding, “If you are too uncomfortable to speak, shall we move? While I’m on the subject of your comfort, surely you aren’t enjoying wearing bloody fabrics, I’ll have these washed and returned to you.” As if the room and metal beneath you weren’t cold enough in your underwear, they stripped you down to nothing in what felt like mere seconds, dropping the clothes into a basket in the corner. You were fully naked before them for the second time in the span of an hour.

You could remember feeling powerful, bending over the corpse of that young girl, corpses couldn’t fight, that body was yours to study, well now you felt powerless, sitting in the chair at Valdemar’s desk, entirely nude, stiff and motionless as they kneeled at your feet, licking blood off your legs. Their ability to have complete power and control over you even when you were above them and could easily kick or hit them away was truly impressive. You could feel your will melting like your body, putty in Valdemar’s hands, you knew you couldn’t hide the truth from them.  
“Feeling like telling the truth soon, doll?”  
“I did something I’m not really supposed to… I don’t want to make you mad boss…”  
“I don’t get mad...you’re afraid of my punishments sweet thing.” Their tone was even more ominous than usual.  
“Punishments, pain doesn’t scare me, I just don’t want to upset you, truthfully. I was examining a corpse in the sewers…”  
“You’ve done this before, no?” You looked away, unable to make eye contact or form a reply.  
“See? I’m not mad. In fact I’m realizing you might just be more like me than I thought...now, lay back on the table.” You did as they asked, relieved that they weren’t angry and seemed more intrigued than disappointed. Only after laying down, did you begin to wonder why they wanted you on the table.  
“Hey boss? Why am I on the table?” They paused before laughing outwardly as they strapped your limbs onto the metal table.  
“I said I wasn’t mad. I didn’t say you’d evade punishment.” Their voice came out sweeter than honey and more dangerous than disease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last chapter! Go follow my tumblr if you like! https://partipurri.tumblr.com/ you can interact with me, ask stuff, give writing suggestions whatever!


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apprentice gets cuts and kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy so sorry I didn't update my dad kinda took my laptop cause he uh thought the internet was "corrupting my mind" cause he learned some of my sex vocabulary(even though like of course I know shit I turn 19 in less than a month...) but anyways here's some spicy update...

You fully anticipated that Valdemar was going to grab their scalpel and give you a few shallow cuts on your hip or arm, so when their apron came off to be set on a coat hook in the corner you felt your stomach drop. Expectations slashed, you had no idea what was coming. When you’d gotten comfortable enough to assume you knew their moves was unclear but it was a habit you knew you’d be breaking.

Valdemar’s breath was a warm contrast to the stale, chill air settled in the dungeon but it became less and less controlled and even the longer the situation sunk under their skin. You held eye contact with them as they knelt, resting their chin on the table, so close their lips would tickle your ear when they spoke. By the time they did so, Valdemar sounded giddy.  
“How deep did you have to cut into your victim?”

“I didn’t- I didn’t have to uh...cut into… her, at all…”

The question had caught you off guard and your reply came out like you were a child giving an unpracticed presentation to their class. And you would’ve gotten a bad score. Valdemar didn’t look pleased, they wanted all the gorey details. You’d give them only a few details to not over excite the quaestor while you were still strapped down beneath them.

“I tore up her stitches… I wanted to see the heart so I snapped her ribs. I was lucky enough to be able to reuse your incision boss..”

Valdemar stood and turned away, taking a few steps to pick up a small leather pouch, all the while humming. When they returned to your side, they had a small knife that almost looked like a butter knife with its wide and thin blade on a marbled green, decorative handle. Once again, valdemar got on their knees, so their eyes were level with your chest, now rising and falling quickly. They press the blade horizontally into the skin at the bottom of your ribcage and slowly drag it up. It’s agonizingly painful and only gets worse as they completely cut the skin there off. 

Your body can’t stop trembling under the restraints and your cheeks and neck are wet with tears. Valdemar pushes the blade into your jaw right next to your chin and drags it up your skin around 3 inches. The cut is deep but the knife is so sharp and Valdemar’s hands are so steady you feel close to nothing until they’d already moved on to your left thigh.

Valdemar doesn’t bother slicing your leg and opts to press the tip of the knife into the inside of your thigh, then they repeat the action. Over and over until you can no longer feel individual cuts. Just a big, warm, numbing sensation spreading throughout your lower body. 

Emotions you don’t know how you were feeling like relief and comfort and pure adoration fog your head as Valdemar pushes in what had to be the last few cuts. You weren’t so much happy it was over so much as excited to finally be their focus. The patient they had to take care of. 

“Hey boss?” Your voice was quiet in an attempt to keep them from getting annoyed with you.  
“Yes, doll?” Valdemar was standing, their face and tone were less ominous, they looked...satiated.  
“You’re gonna take care of me, right?”  
“I’d be glad to. You took your punishment so well after all.” 

Even with you still strapped to the table, surely bleeding far more than was healthy, the room’s atmosphere felt warm and safe. You relished in the comfort of Valdemar’s gentle yet cheerful humming as they thoroughly cleaned around your thigh and jaw wounds. They’d yet to release your limbs, you still risked getting hurt or killed if you moved suddenly and it was painful, but you bared it.

You needed stitches all over and your skin had to be sewn back onto your ribcage. When Valdemar had finally finished, you wanted to break your restraints and cling to them but you knew you couldn’t. After having just torn flesh from your body, they were so careful not to hurt you as they wiped the remaining blood from your skin with a cloth dampened with warm water. 

With the pain done and behind you, Valdemar could finally release you. You tried to sit up but couldn’t find the strength, they wrapped arms around you and pulled you up, letting your legs dangle off the side of the table. At first you were shocked by their next action, that they would just hold you like that, after you’d already been sat up. Then the realization came that the reason their arms were still behind you is because they were wrapping gauze around your torso to cover your rib cage cut. You lifted your arms for them, setting your hands on their shoulders.

Your thigh was wrapped up as well, you had tried and failed to watch them the entire time Valdemar worked on it. Having your crush at knee level with you completely nude wasn’t ideal for staying composed though. A hot, overwhelming sensation had pushed to cover your face just beneath the surface. Skin buzzing, head spinning, and arousal steadily increasing, you felt drunk without being remotely intoxicated, you couldn’t even remember how you’d gotten into this situation.

Hands still resting on Valdemar’s shoulders, you rubbed gentle circles against their neck with your thumbs, it was a sad excuse of a seduction tactic but it was all you had in the moment. They raised their chin slightly to make eye contact with you and you noticed the softest smile you’d ever seen them make, they looked genuinely happy. It had been proven time and time again that their emotions weren’t expressed in the same way others might have expressed them so you had no idea what to expect but you still felt the same giddiness seeing them smile at you in such a way.

Valdemar slid a gloved hand forward to rest on your mid thigh, “I’m flattered by your attempts at wooing me doll, but it’s quite unnecessary… I already desire you plenty…” They sounded like they’d metaphorically been stranded in the desert for months with no water. You were relieved that they’d responded to your thirst with their own shining through even more prominently.

You brought a hand to Valdemar’s chin as you curled your body inwards then used it to guide their face upwards, to your own. Valdemar stood, their intimidatingly tall frame placed you entirely at their mercy. After less than two seconds of forehead touching accompanied by intense eye contact they went in for the kill. Their mannerisms when kissing were no different than their mannerisms while doing surgery, quick and precise. Your mouth was not just met by, but caught by theirs. Lips not in a dance, but a chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOoooh baby I know you wanna follow my tumbly so please just give it to me... that new follower... I want you!!  
> https://partipurri.tumblr.com/


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